Zita
Zita is the main character of my Hunchback of Notre Dam fanfiction, Heaven's Light Early Life Zita was born to Angelique and Laurent de la Scala in Milan, Italy in 1454. The head family of a Romani tribe in their home country, the de la Scalas were nomads like most gypsies. Upon entering the Court of Miracles in Paris in the early 1460's, Laurent struck a deal with the then king of the gypsies, Pierre Trouillefou that Zita would marry Pierre's eldest son, Ruben, thus joining the two tribes together as one. In 1462, Zita was escorted to Paris by Ruben and his younger brother Clopin, her parents staying behind since Angelique had just given birth to a baby boy. Zita was made comfortable in the Court of Miracles waiting for her parents to follow after her. Unfortunately while making passage into Paris, Angelique, Laurent, and the other gypsies they traveled with were stopped and arrested by Judge Claude Frollo. The archdeacon of Notre Dam comes to the court of miracles to deliver this news, telling Zita her parents and baby brother, Michele, have all been killed. He brings only a few effects of her parents to comfort her; her mother's shawl and the woven band Pierre had given her father to guide them to the Court. The Court of Miracles Zita remains in the Court of Miracles, being raised by the women in the tribe and watched over by Pierre. The King of the Gypsies realizes early on that Zita has the site and allows her to read palms on the streets and at the Festival of Fools. Zita is happy in Paris though she misses her family and Italian friends terribly. Often when cornered by guards in the city, she seeks sanctuary in Notre Dam and eventually becomes very religious, vising the church regularly and striking up a friendship with the archdeacon. During these years Zita also becomes close with her future husband, Ruben, and brother-in-law, Clopin. Being 8 years younger than Ruben and 6 years younger than Clopin, she initially sees them as brother figures, but eventually grows to fancy Ruben. In 1469 when Zita is 15, a young gyspy girl named Esmeralda comes to the Court of the Miracles and the two become fast friends, Zita inviting her new friend to church and reading her palm often. She even goes so far as to give Esmeralda her father's woven band so that she is easily able to find her way around the city. Ruben Trouillefou The day Zita turns 16, Pierre steps down as King of the Gypsies and appoints Ruben to step up and take his place. As arranged 8 years earlier by her parents, Zita marries Ruben and becomes queen of the gypsies. The two are very happy together and genuinely enjoy their life together taking care of their people. The only thing that troubles Zita during this time is that she is unable to conceive a child. She worries about it constantly, attempting to use tarot cards to see into her future and taking many tonics from fellow gypsy women. One day after seeking sanctuary with Esmeralda inside Notre Dam she talks to the archdeacon of her problem. She admits guiltily that she wants a child perhaps even more than she wants justice for the gypsies. The archdeacon tells her to pray to God on the matter and seek his guidance. Once she does this, Zita feels confident her prayers will be answered and that she will conceive on her and Ruben's next attempt. She rushes home with Esmeralda from the church only to find out that Ruben has been shot with an arrow and killed in the city that same day. Clopin Trouillefou On the day of Ruben's burial, Clopin regretfully tells Zita that she is obligated to marry him since her parents had promised her to the King of the Gypsies and the title now falls to him. Though heartbroken at the idea, Zita agrees, asking how long she will be allowed to mourn her husband before taking a new one. Taking his brother's knife, Clopin chops off Zita's hair nearly to the base and tells her when it grows back she will be finished mourning. She is greatful for this since he has given her nearly a year to mourn for Ruben. When her hair eventually grows out, Zita marries Clopin. The two are initially hesitant to act as a married couple, having behaved as siblings for so long. Eventually though, they grow to love each other romantically and Zita tells Esmeralda his love is like "heaven's light" having cleared away the darkness left after Ruben's death. Clopin and Zita are able to have two children. Michele Ruben Trouillefou born in 1472, named after his diseased uncles, and Fleur Angelique Trouillefou born in 1474. Zita and Clopin make a very good Queen and King of the Gypsies and the tribe flourishes under their rule, but eventually pressure from Frollo and his men begins to make life more dangerous. 1482 In 1482 after Esmeralda helps the bell ringer of Notre Dam at the Festival of Fools, she comes back after escaping the cathedral and tells Zita all about Quasimodo. Zita is curious about this young man and goes to see the archdeacon, wondering why he had never mentioned the orphan in the tower. He tells her that in time his reasoning for keeping Quasimodo a secret will be more clear. When Captain Phoebus is hurt during the hunt for Esmeralda, she brings him to Zita, not knowing what to do. ZIta tells her to find him sanctuary at Notre Dam, helping her carry him there herself. This is when she first meets Quasimodo. Initially frightened of his appearance, having only seen him from afar at the festival, she eventually realizes he is a kind person and grows to like him. When she figures out he is hurt by Esmeralda's romantic interest in Phoebus, she tells him to not loose hope. "When I was younger and thought I wouldn't be able to go on, my father would tell me 'you are made of something stronger than stone and can never lose faith in yourself as long as you remember that'." -'Zita to Quasimodo' While initially able to escape the wide gypsy hunt, Zita and her family are eventually captured when Quasimodo and Phoebus unintentionally lead Frollo to the Court of Miracles. They are imprisoned along with the rest and brought out to witness Esmeralda being burned at the stake. They are all thrilled when Quasimodo saves the girl and Phoebus rallies the citizens to free the gypsies and fight Frollo's guards. Quasimodo ZIta goes into Notre Dam, not wanting any of the priests or the building itself to be hurt. Entering immediately after Frollo, she finds the archdeacon on the ground. It is here that he finally tells her he had known all along the Frollo had killed her mother and spared her brother at his interference. He claims he hid Michele from his people in the hopes that his presence would change Frollo's heart. He tells her her brother is actually the hunchback Quasimodo and she must hurry to save him from the judge. Zita reaches the towers just in time to stop Frollo from stabbing Quasimodo who she now knows is her younger brother, Michele. While the hunchback confronts the judge, Zita is able to revive Esmeralda and the two women are grabbed by Quasimodo as he flees Frollo. The following struggle only ends when in a rage at hearing Frollo mention her mother's death, Zita pushes him over the edge, causing him to drag Quasimodo down with him. Frollo falls while Esmeralda and Zita try to pull Quasimodo up. When they eventually drop him, Phoebus is below to catch him. Zita allows the other three to have a moment before pulling Quasimodo aside to explain about their long hidden relationship. Later Life Zita is unable to convince Quasimodo to leave his home in the bell tower nor to take on his birth given name. Still the two develop a very close relationship, ZIta often bringing her children to visit him in Notre Dam square, and Quasimodo opening up to Zita about how he had yearned for a family over the years. Esmeralda stays close with Zita and the rest of her people even as she goes on to marry and eventually have a son with Phoebus. Clopin and Zita remain King and Queen of the gypsies and she admits to him that she would not have survived the hardships of her life without the heaven's light of his love.